Tennessee Vols looked like a team that deserves to be ranked in win against Ball State
The Tennessee Vols got off to a quick start against Ball State on Thursday night and they never let their foot off the gas in a 59-10 win. Tennessee defensive back Tamarion McDonald intercepted a pass on Ball State's first play from scrimmage. The Vols' next play was a 23-yard touchdown pass from Hendon Hooker […]
The Tennessee Vols got off to a quick start against Ball State on Thursday night and they never let their foot off the gas in a 59-10 win.
Tennessee defensive back Tamarion McDonald intercepted a pass on Ball State's first play from scrimmage. The Vols' next play was a 23-yard touchdown pass from Hendon Hooker to Jalin Hyatt.
In just 23 seconds, Tennessee showed they weren't going to let the Cardinals hang around.
The Vols weren't perfect on Thursday. There were some missed deep throws and some passes that should've been corralled. The defensive line didn't generate much of a pass rush and the offensive line could've displayed better run blocking.
But even bringing that stuff is nitpicking a great effort by Tennessee.
There are a lot of times in season openers that overmatched teams stick around until the second half. That's due to several factors — rust, overconfidence, energy from an overmatched opponent, etc.
The Vols, however, never let Ball State think they had a chance in this game. And that's what good teams do.
Tennessee wasn't ranked heading into this matchup — they were the first team left out of the AP Top 25 — but there's a good chance they'll be ranked for next weekend's game against Pittsburgh.
Ultimately, rankings don't matter. But the Vols want to be a great program. They want to get back to playing games that are relevant nationally. That only happens if a program is ranked. That's why it's important that Tennessee gets into the top 25 as quickly as possible.
It could happen this week — especially if a team above them in the rankings falters.
In fact, another couple of games like the one they played on Thursday night and the Vols could be knocking on the door of their first top 15 ranking since the 2020 season when they were ranked No. 14 for their early season matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs.
Featured image via USA TODAY Sports
